


Wheel of Fortune

by Gizzwhizz



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Gen, Short One Shot, Tarot, Wheel of Fortune
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-04
Updated: 2020-02-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:27:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22562479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gizzwhizz/pseuds/Gizzwhizz
Summary: Ardyn awaits the Chosen King and contemplates his fate.For For the Tides of Fate: A FFXV Tarot Project.
Kudos: 7
Collections: Tides of Fate: A FFXV Tarot Project





	Wheel of Fortune

**Author's Note:**

> This was my second piece for the Tides of Fate: A FFXV Tarot Project. I love playing with Ardyn and I will never get tired of waxing poetic about what goes on inside his head. The lovely art for this card was done by Veedraws. This story is for card X: Wheel of Fortune.

Ardyn reclined in the deserted throne room. He sat upon the throne long denied to him amidst a decade of ruin and decay. This seat was still part of his birthright, after all, no matter what the gods decreed. Little Noct (not so little anymore) and his friends would be here soon. Ardyn had felt Ifrit fall and he had little doubt they would soon overcome the other obstacles he’d left in their path.

“And here we go again, hmmm?” he asked the empty room, sorely wishing he’d thought to pour himself a glass of wine while he waited. Was this how Somnus had felt, waiting for Ardyn to walk into his trap? Now that they had come full circle, it was the would-be-King who so closely resembled his brother marching towards Ardyn to claim the Crown. The reversal would almost be laughable if it wasn’t so bittersweet, even after all this time.

For an instant his mind flashed on the Oracle holding his arm in Altissia, and how closely she had resembled his Aera. What a strange thing fate was, letting him broker their betrothal only for him to take her from Noctis with his own hands. Unless it was meant to be that way. Just another part of their shifted roles as history repeated itself. He couldn’t discount the idea. Luck had always been a fickle mistress when it came to his life.

There was a noise somewhere in the Citadel-turned-tomb and Ardyn could actually feel Noctis growing closer. The young man wore a new aura now, one far stronger than anything Ardyn had sensed ten years ago. He smiled despite himself, excitement bubbling up inside of him. One way or the other, Noctis was about to change everything. On the one hand, Ardyn could defeat him and spoil all of Bahamut’s precious plans, ending the line of Lucian kings and ruling over a World of Darkness in perpetuity. Or, they could play the parts that had been written for them, in which case Noctis would defeat him, would break the cycle, would set him free…

Ardyn had long ago given up even wondering what might await him in the unlikely event of his death, but whatever he felt at the idea, it wasn’t fear.

“We’ll see how the cards fall, shall we?” he whispered to himself, just as the doors at the end of the hall opened.


End file.
